Bomb attack leaves 3 Iraqi policemen killed, wounded in Kirkuk

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) – An Iraqi policeman was killed and two others were wounded Monday in a bomb attack in oil-rich Kirkuk province, a security source said.

Speaking to Ayn Al Iraq News website, the source said that an explosive charge left by Islamic State went off while a police patrol was passing by the Riyadh district, east of Hawija.

“The explosion left a policeman dead and two others wounded,” the source said, adding that the dead body was moved to the forensic medicine department, while the injured were transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Violence in the country has surged further with the emergence of Islamic State extremist militants who proclaimed an “Islamic Caliphate” in Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The surge in violence between armed groups and government forces has resulted in over five million internally displaced persons across Iraq and left more than 11 million in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

A total of 90 Iraqi civilians were killed, while 117 others were injured due to acts of violence and terrorism during the month of August, according to the monthly count by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

The worst affected province was Baghdad with 77 civilian casualties (24 killed and 53 injured). Nineveh came second with 39 casualties (29 killed and 10 injured), while Anbar came in the third place with 32 casualties (6 killed and 26 injured).